Fasenra gets bad news

Sounds pretty similar to my territory

 

Lots of trolls working here I guess

 

Sales in China was a highlight of AZ's 1Q 2018 earnings report.

There are about 100 million Chinese with COPD. Considering that 30% probably have eosinophilic COPD and can benefit from a drug like Fasenra, this would’ve been a huge market for AZ.

The loss of the COPD indication is a big setback in potential Fasenra sales.

 

Respiratory and biologics salesforce combining

 

Because its a more severe disease state than asthma.

 

We need to do a better job of promoting Fasenra for Asthma before we worry about COPD.

 

The eosinophilic COPD market is much larger than the eosinophilic asthma market.

Only 5% of adults with asthma have eosinophilic asthma and only if these patients do not respond to usual therapy are they considered for a biologic. So the available number of patients for Fasenra is very small and this market is crowded with other biologic competitors.

 

Managers are starting to have the pressure turned up on them to get their teams to produce. The good ones are still sheltering their teams but the weak ones are becoming monsters.

 

we are screwed

 

News Flash, the monsters always win at AZ and nice guys just fade away. AZ only knows one way to lead and that is by intimidation, threats and humiliation.

 

It’s unfair for the sales team to take the hit when AZ keeps coming up with negative studies and mediocre drugs.

R&D management needs to really look into the quality and expertise of clinical research at AZ/MedI specially the respiratory group.

 

We obviously overhired. AZ will rectify that in the same way they always do. Just sorry that people came here with such high hopes and expectations.

 

There really wasn’t a need for the expansion. So much money wasted on over bloated salaries, sign on bonuses, and other incentives. Now we have too many reps with not enough opportunity to justify the cost of our sales force. Just a matter of time!

 

As long as the maps you were hired under still work for you and you were not forced out of your home territory that you were initially hired for. I guess BOBWA works for you

 

Give that man a prize!

 

When you get canned,..... remember, McDonalds is always hiring....

 

Wait, I thought we heard the "grass was always greener"... You bunch of dumb asses who left just to grab a quick buck don't know what you walked away from. Settle into your Big AZ ride. You will all be miserable in no time!!!

 

As someone who used to work in Repiratory and Inflammation R&D (but got laid off) I wouldn't disagree with this. However, it's not the whole story; we were directed by marketing (I'm not sure how willingly...) into working on areas that were 'unmet needs' with seemingly no consideration being given as to why they were unmet. The outcome was though, that we were working on technically intractable targets. I understand we should only be working on things that will ultimately make money but Pharma should be research led and then lets see how we can sell it, not marketing led and lets see if we can make it.

 

That is the AZ way!!!

 

AZ’s R&D and Marketing strategy has all along been to “Follow the Leader”. It is a low risk approach. In this case Fasenra is following Nucala’s indications for severe eosinophilic asthma, eosinophilic COPD, and nasal polyps.

For eosinophilic COPD, there is an unmet need and a large patient base. Unfortunately, Fasenra’s failed COPD clinical trials means AZ R&D must go back to the drawing board and redo these studies with changes in study design if it wants to continue this program which sets it back at least 3 to 4 years and a rather large potential loss in sales.